Garment protector



Sept. 7, 1937. E. H. BINNS GARMENT PRQTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1956 ATTORNEY P 7, 1937. E. H. BINNS GARMENT PROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1956 INVENTOR. M

ATTORNEY tive closure of any circulating space.

Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention is an improvement in garment protectors, particularly applicable in connection with means for raising and lowering it in operative relation to a relatively stationary separable supporting yoke or hanger, as in my prior application Serial No. 71,617.

The protector per se consists of a tightly closing bag or casing, open at one edge portion only for access to the interior below the rounded or arching top, and so constructed as to provide for tight sealing when closed. The construction provides, in addition to its sealing function, a special facility in positioning and certainty of effecting connection of the fastening elements for posi- Also, in connection with the garment supporting means, it provides for ease and convenience in insertion or removal of the protected contents, as hereinafter described.

In the drawings showing one preferred construction:

Fig. l is a front view in elevation, partly broken away, showing the protector closed in lowered depending position over the suspended garments;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the protector elevated for removal or insertion of the garments and with the edge flaps open;

Fig. 3 is a top or plan View of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line IV--IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an interior sectional view on the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view on the line VIVI of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a partial view in front elevation of the lower portion of the protector with its open edge portions extended, as in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view onthe line VIII-VIII of Fig. '7; 1

Fig. 9 is a view like Fig. 7 showing the inner face of the rear wall and its closing flap, on the line IX-IX of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a somewhat diagrammatic view, excluding some details, illustrating in cross section 45 the tight positive folded and creased interengagement of the flaps.

I shall first describe the garment supporting and protector-adjusting mechanism, with which the improved protecting covering cooperates.

Such means in its entirety comprises a conventional yoke 2 of any suitable construction, over which the garment or garments 3, as a coat, cloak, dress, suit, etc. is or are draped for normal support, in the usual manner.

The yoke 2 is provided at its middle portion with a central vertical opening or socket 4, entirely or only partly through it, upwardly from the lower side, adapted to be engaged by a cooperating hook 5 at the lower terminal of an elongated stem or shank 6 of wire. At its upper end stem 6 terminates in a supporting hook 1 adapted to engage a carrying bar or rod 8. Hook 1 is extended around in the form of an engaging loop terminating in a rounded reversed eye 9 or the like, for grasping. The inner portion of the wire forming the eye 9 is rounded as shown, leaving a space In slightly less in width than the diameter of bar 8 to prevent accidental removal therefrom.

The hook I being somewhat resilient, allows for placement over the bar as in the usual open hook form, but with outward and reverse automatic spring action. By withdrawing the terminal 9 of either the rounded or any other suitable form the entire stem and its suspended load may be easily removed from the bar.

The stem or rod 6 is twistedon itself to provide a looped eye 9a, made in the shank of the stem itself, preferably closely below the hook I, through which, or through eye 9, or both, a raising or lowering pull cord I8 is passed. The cord I8 is adapted to be fastened in any suitable manher when raised, as indicated in Fig. 2. The pull of the cord through eye 9a. is thus in close alinement with the stem 6, thereby avoiding lateral strains.

Instead of engaging the socket 4 the yoke may be provided with an ordinary screw eyeor hook for connection by hook 5, of any other suitable form, as in my prior application.

The protector l l is in the form of an enclosing bag or pouch, through the top portion of which the stem 6 slidably passes, as at 6a. It is closed at the bottom a, one edge or side b, and the top 0, the latter being rounded or otherwise extended upwardly to a material extent for reception, well above an entrance and exit opening d along the opposite edge or side, ofv the hanger yoke and shoulder portions of its suspended garments.

The protector as a whole is composed of a front wall I2 and a back wall l3 connected in any suitable manner as by overlapping adhesively secured reinforcing strips [4.

At the upper inside middle portion of the arched top 0- is a vertically arranged inverted V shape single or double thickness reinforcing strip of strong fabric l5. It is adhesively secured to the inner faces of front l2 and back [3 and having overlapping connection with transverse strengthening threads l6 secured to such inner faces by adhesively applied holding and reinforcing strips |1.

Strip l5 thus provides an anchoring connection for the raising and lowering means for the protector with relation to the relatively stationary yoke 2 and its burden. Pull cord I8 is connected with the upper end of the protector by a terminal hook l9 passed through the upper opposite walls of the protector and of strip l5, firmly engaging it, as in Fig. 4.

By such means the protector may be lowered over the yoke and its supported garments, closely adjacent thereto as in Fig. 1, or raised and secured by wrapping cord I8 around loop 9, as in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that when the protector is lowered the yoke and upper portions of the garments occupy its upwardly rounded or arched top cavity portion, considerably above the upper terminal of side edge opening d, and that when it is raised as in Fig. 2 the opening gives easy access thereto for removal or replacement.

In such position the garments may be readily removed from the yoke through the full registering opening, or the yoke and its burden may be as easily disconnected from hook 5 or replaced thereon, without interference or close proximity to the interior cavity walls at the top.

Side or edge opening d extends throughout the full depth of the protector up to a point approximating the lower terminal of the curve or slope of the rounded top, as at e. Throughout such extent the open double flap portions 20, Fig. 6, provide folding flap sections 2| and 22 which, when brought together, are folded in double formation successively inwardly upon themselves on bending lines ,f and g throughout their entire length, for final securing attachment to the main equal width front wall adjacent similar section 23.

It will be observed that at the upper terminal e of the opening the secured together edges of the front and back top portion extend down angularly across flap portions 22, connecting them at the top, as at 24. Also, that at such upper location the bending portion of flap 22 and adjacent portion of section 23 is strongly reinforced both front and back, by strengthening threads 25 firmly incorporated with the material by overlying adhesively applied thin reinforcing strips like strips Such portion of the container is thereby greatly strengthened against the strains of opening and closing, and of insertion and removal of the contents.

As a further reinforcement and also assisting in defining the sharp angular bending and creasing line g of junction between double sections 22 and adjacent front single wall section 23 a thread 25 is secured to front wall |2 throughout its depth by an adhesively attached overlapping strip 26.

The outermost flaps 2| are redoubled upon themselves from their outermost edges back to the first bending line 1 as at 21, Fig. 6, and the outer edges of each flap are reinforced and finished by adhesively applied doubled strips 28. The inner terminal edges of such redoubled flaps 2|, terminating at first bending line 1 are likewise reinforced as to each by .adhesively applied covering strips 29.

I Thus the bending lines and g in each case are definitely defined and reinforced, greatly facilitating the formation of a definitely defined crease between adjoining flaps, when the flaps are bent upon themselves and each other. This result is of great advantage and importance, not

only in providing extra strength along such lines, but also in facilitating the formation of permanent bending and interfitting creases, thus ensuring ease and certainty in positive registering and closing of the male and female members of the fastening devices used.

These as shown are of the familiar snap or glove fastener type, utilizing snap eyes 30 and interfitting snap lugs 3|, arranged in corresponding rows on the outer face of the rear one of flaps 2| and the front face of innermost outer flap section 23 respectively. These are mounted in position by any suitable means, as adhesively or otherwise applied reinforcing sections 32 of the same thin material of which the entire protecting unit is made. The fasteners are imbedded in the walls and reinforced as in Patent of Hausner No. 1,451,612 of which I am the owner.

Because of its particularly advantageous qualities as to minimum gauge, light weight, strength, smoothness, transparency and sanitary qualities, I prefer to make the protector of any well known flexible sheet material having such qualities. Such material is particularly adaptable in that while being amply resilient it also is sufficiently stiff to retain permanently bends or creases when reversed on itself under pressure. I have utilized this quality especially in connection with the multiple fold creased flap sections whereby to provide sharply defined closely interfitting V shape joint contacts at the bending lines 1 and o.

By reason thereof, the double thickness reverse bend or crease along line ,7 brings the opposite flap walls at their creased junction into close tight engagement with each other. The terminal edges of fiaps 2| are also in similar close and tight engagement with the acute angle bend of the reversely laid double flap walls 22 and 23, so that at both bending lines ,1 and g a double seal is provided, positively excluding any circulation of air, dust or insects.

This feature of the invention, together with the ensured facility of fastener registration because of the positive and accurate folding line creasing, above described, is of great efficiency and advantage in certainty of quick and easy closing.

At any suitable portion of the protector. as its lower end, a small container 33 of glass or other material, having an open top provided with cross bars 34, is inserted in a holding pocket formed by cross stitching 35. Such receptacle is made long and narrow, having a flat base 36 for standing erect when removed for purpose of filling. It is of dvantage in dispensing within the bag and to it contents the vapors of a contained fluid insecticide or a perfume.

The onstruction and manner of use of my inventi n will be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing description.

With the hanger yoke 2 in position at the lower end of rod 6, or with the yoke separated and in suppo ting engagement with the garments, the prote tor is first elevated by cord l8 as in Fig. 2, with the edge flaps open.

I such position the user has free access to the intzrior either in replacing the yoke and its suspe ded garments through the vertical edge opening, or in placing the garments on the yoke when it is in fixedly connected position on the supporting stern.

Removal of the yoke and garments, or garments only, is thus rendered similarly easy and rapid, without interference or upward reaching and inconvenience as in a stationary covering bag with the yoke closely adjacent its inner top portion, as will be readily understood. The closing of the flaps in the manner described completely protects and isolates the contents of the protector until it is opened for removal or further insertion and placement of other garments.

By thus supporting the protector on the stem the hanger'is located sufficiently below its top to beeasily available for placement or removal of garments with a fixed yoke, or removal of the yoke itself when separably connected with the stem.

With either construction as described the invention provides for complete isolated protection and great convenience, certainty and ease of use in opening or closing the protector, for storage of wearing apparel or the like.

What I claim is:

1. A garment protector as described consisting of a front and back wall of thin flexible material secured together at the bottom, one side edge portion, and around an upwardly extending top edge portion, the front and back Walls being equidistantly extended at the opposite side edges providing an outermost pair of front and back flaps, an adjacent pair of similar equal width flaps joined therewith on a defined crease line and having upper closure and reinforced connection with the main top edge portion, said outermost flaps being foldable upon the adjacent flaps and both pairs being foldable together on a defined crease i line over upon the front wall, and securing means on the front wall and on the back face of the rear outermost flap adapted to make registering connection when the flaps are successively folded on themselves and against the front wall.

2. A garment protector made of front and back walls of thin flexible sheet material secured together at the bottom, one side edge, and the top, wherein the top portion is upwardly rounded for ample reception of a clothes hanger and garments thereon, the other side edge portion beingopen below the upwardly rounded top portion, the

front and backwalls having folding flap extensions coextensive with the length of the protector below the rounded top portion, said flap extensions being defined by primary reinforced bending and creasing lines between the outermost equal width sections and the next adjacent equal width sections and by secondary creasing lines between said adjacent sections and the main front and back walls, a vertically arranged series of front wall snap fasteners, and a similar series of cooperating snap fasteners on the outer face of the rear outermost flap section whereby when said sections are folded on their creasing lines the snap fasteners will be brought into registering connection for tight closure.

3. A garment protector as in claim 2 wherein the second or adjacent folding flap sections and the adjoining front and back walls are reinforced at each side of the secondary creasing lines at the upper portion of the side edge opening.

4. A garment protector as in claim 2 wherein the second or adjacent folding flap sections are connected at the top by a continuation of the closed edge portion of the upwardly rounded top.

5. A garment protector as in claim 2 wherein the upper middle portion of the top is reinforced a transverse reinforcing thread. laid across the I end of said strip and an adhesively applied securing strip therefor.

7. A garment protector as in claim 2 wherein the bending and creasing lines for the flaps are defined by coextensive threads and reinforcing strips laid thereover and adhesively securing them to the face of the material.

8. A garment protector as in claim 2 wherein the outermost flap sections are doubled back on themselves to the primary creasing lines and are provided with securing and strengthening strips coextensive with the creasing lines and have outer edge reinforcing strips.

9. A garment protector as in claim 2 wherein the bending and creasing lines for the flaps are reinforced and defined by overlapping strips laid thereover and adhesively secured to the face of the sheet material.

10. A garment protector as in claim 2 wherein the bending and creasing lines for the flaps are reinforced and defined by overlapping strips laid thereover and adhesively secured to the face of the sheet material providing for a double thickness creasing base.

EDWARD H. BINNS. 

